Outboard motor bracket



Feb. 4, 1958 R. G. COLLINS OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Filed March 30, 1954 INVENTOR. RICHARD G. COLLINS A'TTORNEY United States Patent OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Richard G. Collins, Portland, Oreg. Application March 30, 1954, SerialNo. 419,737

3 Claims. c1. 24s 4 This invention relates to a bracket for mounting an outboard motor on a boat.

Currently marketed outboard motors are of such a length that when they are mounted on a boat the propeller housing extends outwardly beyond the reach of the operator, even when the motor is tilted to its horizontal position. As a result it is difficult, if not impossible under some conditions, to remove weeds from the propeller, to replace a shear pin, to change propellers, or to make other repairs. Also, the larger motors are so heavy that it is awkward to remove them from the transom to effectuate these purposes.

Accordingly it is the general object of the present invention to provide a bracket for mounting an outboard motor on a boat, which bracket enables swinging the motor until the propeller and housing are readily accessible to the operator.

It is another object of this invention to provide a bracket for mounting outboard motors on a boat which makes possible quieter, more eflicient operation of the motor and which eliminates the danger of fire resulting from oil and gas leakage from the motor into the boat.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an outboard motor bracket for mounting the motor on a boat in such a manner as to improve materially the steering qualities and general performance of the boat.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the presently described outboard motor bracket with the motor mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the presently described outboard motor bracket with the motor in horizontal position and swung about toward the boat;

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the presently described outboard motor bracket;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the bracket illustrating the locking means employed thereon; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded view further illustrating the manner of construction of the bracket.

As is apparent from the drawings, the hereindescribed bracket is adapted to be afiixed to the boat and to mount an outboard motor 12. The bracket assembly includes a pair of horizontal, spaced apart, longitudinal frame members indicated generally at 14, 16 in Figure 3.

Frame member 14 includes the vertically spaced apart bars 18, 20. The outer ends of these bars are perforated and the inner ends carry the base plates 22, 24. They are interconnected by brace 26.

Frame member 16 is constructed in a similar manner, and includes the vertically spaced apart bars 28, 30. These also are perforated at their outer ends and carry at their inner ends base plates 32, 34. A vertical brace 36, which corresponds to brace 26, interconnects them. Cross braces 37, 38 and 39, 40 and brace 41 intercon- 2,822,142 f"atented Feb. 4,

nect frame members 14, 16 and further strengthens the assembly.

The bracket assembly also includes a gate for mounting the motor. This element of the assembly is indicated generally at 42 and comprises a top plate 44, a bottom plate 46, and a filler block 47, which may be made of wood, mounted between the two.

The ends of top plate 44 are perforated. Bottom plate 46 is generally U-shaped and its ends also are perforated. The bottom plate is positioned with its cross member directed inwardly to impart to the filler block the inclination necessary for mounting the motor.

Hinge means are provided for pivotally connecting the mounting gate 42 to frame member 14. Although a diversity of binge designs may be employed for this purpose, in the illustrated embodiment the hinge comprises simply a pair of bolts 58, 52 penetrating the perforations in bars 18, 20 and plates 44, 46. Accordingly it is possible to swing the mounting gate outwardly and rearwardly to an angle at which the propeller of the motor and its housing are readily accessible to a person seated in the boat.

Locking means are provided for releasably locking one side of the mounting gate to frame member 16. A preferred locking means is illustrated in detail in Figures As is apparent from these figures, a .pair of threaded stud bolts 54, 56 extend outwardly laterally from bars 28, 30 respectively. A locking bar 60 having an angled upper end 62 and spaced longitudinal slots 64, 66 is adapted to be placed over these bolts. The angled section 62 of the bar carries a downwardly extending locking pin 72 dimensioned and positioned for insertion in the perforations in bar 28 and top plate 44.

Locking bar 60 also is provided with an inwardly extending tab 78 positioned near its lower end. Tab '70 carries locking pin 74 dimensioned and positioned for insertion in the over-lying perforations in bar 30 and plate 46.

It will be apparent that locking plate 60 may be positioned with stud bolts 54, 56 extending through slots 64, 66 and with pins 72, 74 extending into the registering pairs of perforations indicated above. A locking nut 76 having thereon a lever arm 78 then may be screwed on stud 54 and retained thereby nut 80. Also, a nut 82 may be placed over stud bolt 56. Then when lock nut 76 is turned until it enters slot 64, Withdrawal of pins 72, 74 from the perforations in which they extend is prevented and mounting gate 42 is securely locked in place.

However, upon releasing lock nut 76, pins 72, 74 may be withdrawn from the perforations by lifting upwardly on tab 68, releasing the mounting gate. The mounting gate then may be swung around to the position of Figure 2. If the motor is in its horizontal position as indicated in Figure 1, the propeller and its housing will be readily accessible to a person in the boat. When it is desired to use the motor to drive the boat again, the reverse sequence may be followed. Mounting gate 42 is swung until it again bridges the gap between frame members 14, 16. Looking bar 68 then may be manipulated until pins 72, '74 are in place, whereupon lock nut 76 may be tightened by means of lever 78 to lock the gate releasably in place.

Thus it will be apparent that by the present invention '1 have provided an easy and safe method of making outboard motor propeller assemblies readily accessible to the operator. This is accomplished using apparatus having no loose parts which can drop into the water and be lost. Furthermore, the bracket assembly provides a mounting means which improves greatly the performance and steering qualities of the boat and avoids mutilation of the boat transom as well as fire danger from leakage of gas and oil into the boat. i

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herew th; h w nd d scri e is. t be ak nv s; a p eferred example of the same, and that variouschanges in, the,shape, siz e and, arrangement of parts may here sorted to, as by forming the; bracket integrally with the boat transom to formv a hinged boat transom, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An outboard motorbracket comprising first and secand horizontallyspaced apart elongated frame members adapted to be secured; to a boat and each including a pair of vertically spaced apart bars, openings vertically extended. through the bars of the first frame member at their outer ends and threaded studs extending outwardly therefrom in a lateral direction, a motor mounting. gate, pivot. meansfor pivotally attaching one vertical end of the gate to the second frame member adjacent theassociatedbarma slotted locking barslidably mounted on, the studs on the bars of the first frame member, a pair of spaced apart locking pins extending downwardly fromflhe lockingbar, openings in said gate aligned with the openings in said bars, the locking pins being adapted toseat within the openings in the bars of the first frame member and,in ,registe ring openings in the motor mounting, gate, and screw means on the studs for releasably locking the locking bar to the first frame member with the locking pins inserted in the said openings.

2. An outboard motor bracket comprising a pair of elongated frame members adapted to be secured to the boat in horizontally spaced relation and to extend rearwardly, therefrom, a transverse frame member adapted to mount the motor, bracket means on the transverse frame member extending rearwardly from the bottom corners thereof, means pivotally securing the transverse framemember adjacent the upper corner of one vertical edgeto the-topend of one of the elongated frame members, means .pivotally securing the rearwardly extending bracket means adjacentjhe bottom corner of said one vertical edge of the transverse frame member to the bottom end of said one of the elongated frame members, whereby said transverse frame member is pivotally supported by said one elongated frame member normally in tilted position with the bottom edge of the transverse frame member closer to the boat than the top edge, and locking means for releasably-securing'the transverse frame member adjacent its, other vertical. edge to the other elongated frame member.

3. An outboard motorbracket comprising first and second elongated frame members adapted to be secured to a boat in horizontally spaced relation and to extend rearwardly therefrom, a transverse motor mounting memher extended between the first and second frame members, a first bracket secured to the transverse member, pivot meansmounting the first bracket on the'first frame member, a second bracket spaced vertically from the first bracket and secured to the transverse member, an offset section, on the second bracket, pivot means mounting the offset sect-ion on the first frame member, the pivot means for the first and second brackets having a common vertical axis, the transverse member extending in a plane obliquely with respect to said vertical pivot axis and with the, bottom edge of the transversemember closer. to the boat. than its top edge when extending between said first. and second frame members, and locking means for releasably securing. the transverse member to the second frame member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTS 890,368 Montgomery June 9, 1908 1,894,710 Samuelson Jan. 17, 1933 2,131,802 Harmon Oct. 4-, 1938 2,379,256 Schleisner June 26, 1945 

